Taken
by Mrs. Hiddleston Malik
Summary: Love story between two best friends and their idols: Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. Enjoy!
1. Meeting One Direction

**A/N:** This story is co-authored by PirateZoro-san. Check out her other story "I'm Not Losing You Again" as well!

**Chapter 1**

**Meeting One Direction**

Julie squinted at the clock, gently balancing herself on her toes. She set herself back down and cleared her throat loudly to gain the attention of the girl beside her that was dazing off.

"You would've expected your best friend to at least listen," she remarked, pulling the taller girl's cheeks.

After a moment, Julie clapped her hands in front of her friend's face. "Josie!" she called.

Josie turned and faced her with a bright smile. "Yeah?" she replied rather innocently. Oh, how Julie wished she wasn't an airhead at times.

"Ok, man," Julie started explaining, "it's 1:20 PM, we're getting hungr― Josie, listen to me!" She sighed and waved her hand in front of her face. "Plans on where to eat for lunch?"

Josie gave her a weird stare, like Julie had screamed 'unicorns' or something. "LOUIS TOMLINSON," she pointed out with emphasis," is sitting right THERE, no less than five people away, and you're dreaming about fo―" Her stomach gurgled. Before Julie could rebut, Josie held up a finger. "...Perhaps I should eat the carrots I packed?"

Julie sighed, starting to wonder like she always did why she had befriended such a person. Then something caught her attention. She started tugging at Josie's sleeve. "One more person, one more per― ZAYN!" Perhaps she had said his name too loudly, because he looked up from what he was signing and briefly glanced at her.

Josie chuckled. "You're hyperventilating, you know."

Julie smacked her on the shoulder, embarrassed. "Oh, shut up!" The girl before them moved on to Niall, leaving Julie the best gift she could've wished for―the presence of someone she considered to be heavenly.

She swore she was sweating through her sundress. Mentally, she started beating herself up, telling herself to stay calm...calm... "Hi." She gave him a shy smile.

"Vas Happenin'?" Zayn replied playfully.

Julie was starstruck, on the inside of course. She didn't want to annoy Harry who sat two seats away since he disliked squeals. "Nice hat," she complimented, eyeing his charcoal grey hat which had a hot pink band attached.

What Zayn Malik had done next completely took Julie by surprise. He looked down, smiled, and looked back up. By any chance, did he think she was cute? Zayn took off his hat and handed it to her. "Take it," he said with a wink.

At first, Julie just stared in silence, and then her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Behind her she could hear her friend hooting quietly. Ah, typical Josie.

Zayn grinned. "Yeah, I've got loads of hats already."

"W-wow, thanks!"

"Alrighty, so what's your―"

"Julie!"

Zayn smirked. "Actually, I was wondering," he tapped his pen a few times on the desk, "if you would mind passing me your phone number."

Again, Julie's eyebrows shot up. How many surprises could she take? Josie's hooting started transforming into "aww"s. Julie searched through her bag until she found a pen and a notepad. She quickly wrote down her name, email, Twitter, and phone number. She ripped off the piece of paper and handed it to Zayn. He took it and slipped it discreetly in his pocket, dashing his eyes from left to right suspiciously. He wrote something on Julie's signing book and signed it with a flourish. He passed it back to Julie and gave her a hug. She inhaled the smell of his cologne, wanting to stay in this moment forever, and regrettably pulled away from him. He saw her expression and laughed.

"You'll most likely be seeing me sometime soon, don't worry," he murmured and squeezed her hand. He let it go and turned his gaze to Josie. She turned to the right to Niall while eavesdropping on Josie and Zayn's conversation.

Josie tucked some hair behind her ears and handed him her signing book. "'Sup, Zayn," she greeted.

"Vas Happenin'?"

"Hey, um, look, Julie's my best friend and I just want you to know she really loves you. I think you'd really like her," Josie explained. Julie hid a smile.

He chuckled. "I guess I already do."

Julie felt her heart swell like a balloon as she realized Niall was still waiting for her to say something.

"Are you alright?" he spoke with his Irish accent.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I was thinking about...something." She darted a sideways glance at Zayn.

Niall noticed. "Ah, you were thinking about Zayn, weren't you?" He looked down at the book and turned to the page Zayn autographed and laughed.

"What?" Julie asked. She tried to read his words upside down but failed.

"He said, 'Julie, you're turning heads when you walk through the door. Pretty dress. Anyone tell you that? Zayn.' So, Julie's the name?"

She grinned at the little note and said, "Yeah."

He autographed the page and handed it back, saluting her. "Best of luck to you."

"Thanks." She smiled at him before moving on to Liam.

"Hi. How're you?" Liam said quietly but amiably. He did his famous "1-2-3 Flick" and took in Julie's signing book.

"I'm great, thanks. I just met Zayn," Julie sighed before looking guiltily at Liam. "Sorry."

He smiled and waved his free hand. "Nah, it's okay. So, what's your name?"

"My name's Julie."

"Okay. By the way, nice hat." He winked at her.

She giggled. "It's Zayn's."

"Aw, I knew it, you lucky girl! I've been hankering after that hat since he bought it...oh well. Hope you and Zayn get together," he said and winked at her. She grinned and slid over to Harry, her attention on his hair.

"Hi, Harry. I'm Julie."

"Oh, hi. How'd you like meeting Zayn?" he asked as he autographed the book, putting a small star at the bottom of his signature.

"What?"

He grinned at her. "I've known him for two years already. If he hasn't already asked for your number he's acting strange today."

Julie blushed. "Wow, do you think he'd really like me?"

"Of course! Lovely girl like you, why not? Not to mention, you're cute." He winked at her. Out the corner of her eye, Julie saw Zayn watching them with a look on his face. She suppressed a laugh as she moved on to Louis. Oh, Josie must be dying to see this guy.

"Hello, Louis!" she greeted.

He looked up and gave her his signature grin. "Hi, what's your name?"

"Julie." She waited for Louis to finish autographing her book and then tapped the desk to gain his attention. Julie glanced at Josie and decided to return the favor. "Hey, listen, see that girl who's with Harry right now?"

Louis followed her eyes and stared at Josie and laughed. "You mean the one that's obviously focusing on Curly's hair and surprisingly not his face?"

"Yep." Julie bit her lip before continuing. "She is a huge fan of yours. She's pretty much like your never-before-seen twin. You love carrots, she likes almost every vegetable, you both love joking around and practical jokes, et cetera...so..."

Louis perked up, his grin widening. "Really?"

"Yup. I think you two will really hit it off."

"Yay! Okay, hug?" he offered.

She shrugged. "I would, but I'd rather let my friend do that," she laughed and walked to the side to wait for Josie.

Josie finally finished with Harry and introduced herself to Louis.

"Hi, Louis. I'm Josie," she said, grinning. The airhead was obviously blushing, since she saw Louis as the most dazzling man on Earth. Apparently her hair had untucked itself mysteriously after her meet with Harry Styles...his hair must've influenced hers. She couldn't believe her eyes. Louis Tomlinson was sitting in front of her. Right THERE.

"Here, I hope you're hungry," she smiled and pulled an opened bag of baby carrots out of her bag. She set it down on the table in front of him and his eyes grew wide.

"Carrots! I like you already," he said, giving her a sweet smile.

"Sorry, I got hungry and ate some during my wait."

"That line _is_ long as hell, isn't it?"

Josie rolled her eyes. She was getting comfortable talking with Louis. "Yeah, but I've seen worse in China," she laughed.

Louis grinned. He was amused by this girl. "May I have your number?"

Josie looked shocked at how easily that happened, then she looked at Julie. She pulled out the notepad and pen again and passed them to Josie. She scribbled down her Facebook, Twitter, and then her number and gave the notepad to Louis.

"Thanks, I'll keep it, yeah?" he said and Julie chuckled. He wrote a few words on a page of Josie's copy of One Direction's book and gave it back to her. She took it, thanked him, and hugged him. They both lingered for a moment until the fan next to her flipped her blond tresses and cleared her throat. Josie broke away, giving the fan an annoyed look, then walked away.

"That was pretty creepy, you know," Josie told Julie.

Julie looked up in puzzlement. "What was?"

"You sucking up Zayn's cologne..."

"Oh, shut it!" She smacked her friend's shoulder.

"What'd he write?" Josie asked Julie, giving her a hug of excitement.

"Apparently I turn heads when I walk through the door," Julie replied with pride.

Josie cracked open her signing book. "I've tried playing it cool, but when I'm looking at y― oh what the hell! See you soon― Louis x."

"Awww!" said Julie as they squeezed through the unbelievably big crowd and escaped through the grand doors.

"I know right?" Josie was exclaiming as they walked out. "And THEY BOTH HAVE OUR NUMBERS!"

"Well...and my Twitter. And email address," Julie admitted.

Josie shook her head. "Oh, Julie..."

She shrugged in reply. "You're telling me you only wrote your name and number on that notepad?"

Josie didn't answer as they hailed a cab back to the apartment they shared because they were not going to college. Julie wanted to be an actress and Josie wanted to be a singer, so they decided to live together and support each other. Now, technically, they were both supposed to be at school, but they decided their Senior Ditch Day would be today because of the signing.

They arrived in fifteen minutes back at home and paid the driver. They got out and took the elevator upstairs, discussing their lunch.

"Okay, what should we eat?" asked Julie, hoping Josie would pay attention to her topic on lunch the second time.

Josie blinked blankly before answering. She clapped her hands together. "Ooh! Let's order meatball subs! With marinara sauce!" exclaimed Josie.

Julie sighed, facepalming. Josie was the older one but often acted like the younger sibling. What had Julie ever done to have herself end up living with an idiot? "That's the third time this week..." Julie spoke slowly, hoping for Josie to see sense.

"Because it's awesome! C'mon, you know you want it..." coaxed Josie.

"Ah, screw it, fine," Julie conceded. She hate arguing with Josie.

"Yayy!" squealed the older one and she bounded out of the elevator which had reached the seventh floor.

Julie pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. They walked in and Josie ran to the bathroom, telling Julie that she was too sweaty from their 'magical meetings'. Julie shook her head and dialed Subway's number.

"Hello, I'd like to order two meatball subs with marinara sauce, please..." she said into her phone and giving the person her address and such. "...um, yes, sure, half an hour! Bye." She hung up and walked to her room in search of her wallet. Julie cracked it open and took out a sufficient amount of money.

In the distance she heard her ringtone, and calmly walked out. Julie peered at the number. It was unfamiliar. She put it on speakerphone and said, "Hello?"

"Vas Happenin'?" greeted Zayn cheerfully.

Julie halted dead in her tracks, tilting her head at the phone. For a few seconds she stayed calm, her mind running around in circles to piece together itself. Then the fact that Zayn Malik had called her finally registered itself into her mind, and her mind almost blew up. Her eyes widened.

"Hello?" Zayn called. Julie could imagine him arching a puzzled eyebrow.

A pretentious cough was heard from beside Zayn. "Dude, we can hear you breathing," commented Louis.

_Shit,_ thought Julie. She could feel the sweat coming to her hands. "Sorry, I'm just amazed you called."

And it was then the boys' turn to remain silent. Julie began debating with herself over whether or not she should say hello. She shrugged and let it be.

"Well, of course I did! I asked for your number, didn't I?" replied Zayn, sounding surprised. "Anyway, I was thinking..." his voice suddenly grew shy. "...would you go out with me on Saturday?"

Louis was heard making girly "awww"s in the background. His voice broke into laughter.

Julie was shocked but nodded before realizing they couldn't see her. "Um, yeah, okay! Wait, let's double with Louis and Josie," she suggested.

She could almost picture Louis' face brightening. "Sure, why not?" A shuffling of stuff was heard through the phone before Louis let out a triumphant "ah." He had seemingly found his iPhone. "I'll call her now..."

"Julie, which pair?" Josie asked just as Louis was heard tapping in her number. Julie looked over and her eyes bugged out as she realized Josie was talking about underwear.

"Josie, Zayn and Lo―"

The older girl quickly cut her off. "Wait, phone's ringing..." She grabbed her iPhone, swiped her finger across the screen and held the phone to her ear. "'Ello?"

"What's this talk about pears I've been hearing about?" Louis asked.

Josie's face lit up more than it already had. A grin crossed her face. "I think both pairs are quite cute."

"Josie?" Julie almost shrieked.

"I didn't exactly catch what she was getting at," said Louis. This time, he had moved back to Zayn's phone to direct the statement to Julie. "Fruit can be cute?"

Julie released a small sigh from her lips. Josie walked over to Julie's phone and said casually, "Louis, which sounds better, panties with bears or plain blue with yellow stripes?"

Louis started laughing so hard he sounded like he was about to bust a lung. "You meant THAT?" Zayn just stuttered a bunch of awkward "er"s.

"Oh my god, Josie!" hissed Julie.

"What?" she replied innocently.

"Life never fails to be boring with you here with me every second of the day. Not to mention, today you discussed panty prints in front of Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik," groaned Julie.

Josie grinned and gave her a bear hug. "I know. But you still love me."

"I know I do," she said and pinched her cheek. "And I'm doubting my sanity."

"So, Louis, what do you think?" asked Josie and Julie facepalmed.

"The stripes! Stripes be sexaayyy," he said in a pirate's voice while still laughing.

"Okay!" she said and went to the bathroom to put on the rest of her clothes.

"You felt cheated on when I wore stripes..." muttered Zayn.

"That's because you haven't got boobs. Or...do you?" asked Louis cheekily.

Julie heard a smack. "Shut up, I don't. So where to for the date?"

"UMMY YUMMY!" Louis blurted out just as Josie had re-entered the room.

"Ummy—what?" repeated Julie while Josie fell on the floor, laughing.

"It's a great restaurant we discovered when we snuck out of our hotel last week," elaborated Zayn. "So, we set? We'll pick you up at seven on Saturday?"

"Yeah, sure. See you then! I'll text you our address!" called Julie and hung up, eyes sparkling like a child's upon seeing a present. She typed in their address and sent it to Zayn.

"Ahahahaaaa..." Josie laughed. The room grew quiet for a moment, and just as Julie was about to help her off the floor, the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see a Subway delivery man.

"Um, why is she on the floor?" he asked interestedly.

Julie's face flushed and she didn't answer. She shoved five bucks into his hand and took the sandwiches. "Thanks. Bye!" she called before quickly shutting the door.

"Josie, food's here, if you're not too busy laughing to eat."

Josie scrambled off the floor and grabbed a sandwich. She tore the paper off and bit into it, sighing in bliss. Julie just shook her head at her best friend and sat down to eat as well.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you liked it! Review, please :D


	2. Date Night

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait, there were a few...complications on behalf of both me and Pirate-Zoro-san. Anyhow, enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

**Date Night**

"Julie!" called Josie, running into Julie's room on the evening of Saturday. They were planning ahead of time what they would wear and such.

"What?" said Julie irritably. She was busy typing up a short story she had recently come up with. It was something she tended to do in her spare time.

"How's this?" Josie held up a candy-apple red V-neck t-shirt. In her other hand were her favorite grey mini shorts.

Julie looked over. "Yeah, that's cute. Why are you so worried? You'd totally look fine, and besides, I'm usually the one who's worrying over nothing."

"I know, but this is different. I'm planning on wearing my big highlight yellow shoes and a necklace with it. Which one should I wear?" she asked.

Julie raised an eyebrow at Josie's jumpiness as she was bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her eyes shifted to the large collection of necklaces. "You should wear...the one with that giant, green, half-bitten apple," she suggested.

Josie nodded. "Okay. You should get changed, by the way. Have you decided what to wear yet?"

Julie blushed. "I picked my outfit out last night."

She laughed. "Oh, yeah. I remember. Well, hurry and change into it then, we've got..." Josie checked her watch, "...half an hour before they arrive."

"Yeah, okay," replied Julie as she got off her laptop. She tugged off her clothes and put on a black t-shirt with the words "I'M TELLING MOM!" in bright pink block letters. Then she pulled on her favorite pair of ripped blue skinny jeans. Last came her socks, which had a cute watermelon print on them.

Julie went into the bathroom she shared with Josie and brushed her wavy hair and left it down. She felt she looked terrible and over the top with obvious makeup on, so she applied simple makeup—mascara and concealer—and she was done. She went back to her room, and put on a pair of her favorite earrings—a cascade of golden leaves. She grabbed her brown leather purse, threw some things in there, and donned the fedora Zayn gave her.

Then, her phone rang in her purse and she took it out. The caller ID said "Zayn Malik" and she grinned.

"Hey, Zayn. You guys here?" she asked.

"Yeah, we'll be there in two minutes," he answered.

"Okay. Louis is with you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, see you!" She hung up. "Josie? The guys are here. You done?" called Julie, coming out of her room.

"Yeah," replied Josie, and stepped out into the living room. Julie stared at her, eyebrows raised.

"No makeup?"

Josie gave her a thumbs up, apparently taking that as a compliment. "I went random. There's lip gloss but that's about it. Nice socks, by the way," she added, smirking at the watermelon socks.

Julie wriggled her toes. "They're cute, right?"

"Ah, I still feel like you're my younger sister sometimes."

Julie wrinkled her brow. "I _am_ younger!"

"I know. But you usually act like Liam, all 'mature' and stuff, while I'm still Louis all the way," said Josie. They went to get their shoes from the shoe cabinet and Josie chose her bright yellow shoes while Julie took out her pink high-top Converse shoes.

"That's a lot of pink," said Josie, eying the hat, the shirt, then the shoes.

Julie pouted. "You didn't say anything when I wore those pink pants last time!"

"See, this is what I mean by little sister," commented Josie, indicating her friend's pout and tweaking her nose. Julie sighed in response. They sat down on the couch and played two-player Air Hockey on Josie's iPhone before the bell rang.

Josie ditched her phone and jumped up. "That's them!" she exclaimed quietly and opened the door. There stood Louis, looking absolutely gorgeous in his striped white and blue t-shirt, purple chinos, and navy Toms. He grinned at Josie.

"Hey! You look great," he greeted. His eyes slid down to her shoes and his eyes widened. "Coolest. Shoes. Ever."

Josie laughed and gave him a hug. "So where's Zayn?" she asked, looking over Louis' shoulder into the hallway. It was empty.

"Ah, that reminds me. We need your help," started Louis, looking guilty about something.

"What is it?" said Julie, getting off the couch and going to the door.

"He's...battling a crowd of our stalkers. Would you please help get rid of them?" asked Louis.

Julie was already out the door. Josie took Louis' arm and followed her. They rode the elevator downstairs and just as they were about to walk out, Josie backed up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she stuttered.

Louis raised a confused eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Josie pointed a finger at the exit. In the distance they could see Zayn drowning in a sea of obsessed fans. "If Julie and I go out there..." Josie narrowed her eyes. "We'll be bombarded with carrots, chicken, cats' claws, and spoons."

Louis feigned a thinking pose. "Hm, alright then." He turned to the girls. "Let's stuff you in some duffle bags."

Julie raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no."

"Then what should I do? Carry you out of here bridal style?" He shook his head sarcastically. "I don't think so."

Josie looked down at her shoes and blushed at the thought of being carried bridal style. Then she snapped herself out of it. "There's always the back entrance," she suggested.

Julie raised a finger. "What about Zayn then?"

Josie turned serious with a glum expression. She put a hand on Julie's shoulder and sighed with mock gloom. "His loss will be mourned."

Julie smacked her hand away. "We're not leaving him! Look at him!" She pointed down the long lobby hallway towards a body that was pushed against the door. "He's practically drowning in a sea of gir―"

"Big boobs," Louis finished.

"And clumps of makeup," Josie added. Julie gave the two of them a what-the-hell-just-happened stare.

She waved them off. "You people are idiots!"

Josie feigned an offended gasp. "Fine! We'll save Malik."

"Thank you ever so much for your generosity," Julie responded sarcastically. She tugged the doors open after pressing the button to unlock it and Zayn tumbled into the lobby, along with the screaming fan girls. Damn, was that a big mistake.

He was panting and disheveled. Julie grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the way of the girls. The fans crowded into the small space and many were still snapping photos with their phones and trying to get autographs from him. The moment they spotted Louis, they squealed even louder. Then they saw both Josie and Julie and all hell broke loose.

"OH MY GOD THEY HAVE GIRLFRIENDS!" yelled one crazed fan as she tried to jump Julie. Julie let out a strangled yell and fell to the ground with the girl, attempting to throw her off. Another girl tried to land some blows on Josie and she was surprisingly strong for someone her size. She was even smaller than Julie but held on to Josie's shoulders, whacking her on the head with her purse.

Louis pulled the girl off of Josie. "Hey! Don't hurt her!" he warned, pushing her away and seeing if Josie was hurt.

"I'm fine, man," she calmly replied, sighing. Julie had just seen this scene, and missed the chance of noticing a girl jump on her. Was it just him or was Josie actually...CONTROLLING HERSELF.

Meanwhile, Julie was being held in a headlock. She wrangled her jaw out of the girl's grasp and bit down hard on the girl's forearm. She yelped and let go of her. Julie scrambled off the floor and into Zayn's embrace. When the girl shook off the bite, she advanced again, snarling like a rabid animal. Zayn stepped protectively in front of Julie. The fan seemed to remember where she was and stopped as she caught sight of him.

"Please. Stop beating her up, for god's sake! What are your intentions?" he asked her, boring his eyes into hers.

She backed away slightly, seeing the disappointment and slight anger in Zayn's eyes. Then she reassumed her defensive pose. "Because," she purred with a rather feral grin, "that kind of slut doesn't deserve your attention, Zayn darling."

"Oh, so you're saying he has a bad taste in women? Then if he dated you, that theory would be completed, wouldn't it?" Julie asked sarcastically.

The girl glared at her. "Stay out of this, bitch," she growled. "This is between Zayn and I." She turned to Zayn. "Come with me, honey. Don't go out with that piece of trash behind you. I'm a much better fit for you! You say you like pretty brunettes with brown eyes, big boobs, long legs, and a nice ass? Well I'm exactly what you're looking for."

Julie looked away for a moment. The girl wasn't lying. She seemed to be so gorgeous and sexy. Why would Zayn choose Julie over this hot chick?

Zayn grasped Julie's hand in his and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. "No. You may think you're my ideal girl, but you're wrong. My ideal girl has a nice personality. I don't want someone who's so full of themself. I don't want someone who needs to change herself to get my attention. And I certainly don't want someone who'd beat up my girlfriend to get me," he stated, emphasizing the last part. He then turned to Julie and ignored the other chick. "Julie, don't you worry. I won't let some violent fan disrupt our relationship."

Julie sighed. "But if I'm with you, doesn't that just mean I'll have to deal with even more of this?" She gestured at the crowd of fan girls. "You know, just five minutes of this has given me a headache."

"Well," he said, raking his fingers through his quiff, "if you want to be with me, you gotta deal with the screaming... I mean, I'm sure you already figured that, right?"

She gave him a small smile. "I know that. I was talking about the threats and stuff."

"Oh. That. I'll protect you," Zayn assured her.

"How? I mean, you're on tour, aren't you?"

Zayn smirked. "Well..." His voice grew smaller so that the screaming girls wouldn't be able to make out his words. "There are always empty spots on board you know.."

Julie raised her eyebrows. "Wha―what? We just met a few days ago, and you'd want me with you on your _tour?"_

He grinned at her. "I'll get to know you better by then. It's in a week and a half, anyway."

Julie grinned. "Then I can't wait," she said and hugged him tight. They turned around to see Louis with his arms curled protectively around Josie with the fans trying to scratch Josie with their long fingernails.

Julie shook her head. Since she was a rather small person, she weaved easily through the crowd and latched onto Louis' and Josie's arms. She tugged on them both. They didn't budge. Not that they could, for they were tightly packed among the gaggle of fangirls. Julie tried a few more times before muttering to herself and letting go. She squirmed her way back to Zayn, who was signing two pictures of himself per second.

His face lit up when he saw her, and then it fell again when he noticed that Julie had failed in dragging back Louis and Josie. "They're unreachable to the world?"

Julie nodded and stayed with him as they both began squirming their way through. "Where are your scary guards?"

"We kind of escaped," Zayn explained sheepishly.

Julie began her reply when suddenly a girl was sent falling to the ground from Josie's side. Josie's brows were furrowed together and she stood her ground, a somewhat dark aura emitting from her facial expression. "OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL, YOU WHORES!"

Julie nodded to herself and then faced Zayn's puzzlement. She cleared her throat. "That, right there, is Josie's fit."

Josie was literally growling, and she was no longer under Louis' arms. And the man was surprised by her sudden outrage. "I finally tried to control myself," Josie snapped at the fans, "because Louis is here, and you guys just HAD TO BREAK IT!"

"BREAK WHAT, HUH?" a blonde fan snapped back. "Your one-sided love? Get a life, sicko!"

"YOU get a freaking life, COW!" Josie was getting ready to pounce on her.

Louis took her hand and clenched it in his own. "Alright, let's go," he soothed, dragging her away. He caught Zayn's eyes and they nodded, sharing an unspoken agreement.

At the same time, they both dashed for the doors and exited fast enough to barely miss the desperate snatches of the fans.

They all ran for the safety of the boys' personal limo.

"In, in!" urged their driver, holding the car door open. He must've experienced the same thing many times. They scrambled in, one after another, and the door slammed. The driver got in the front and drove off quickly for there were fans attempting to jump on the hood.

For a moment, they all remained in silence, panting for breath. And then Zayn jumped in to break it.

"Okay, so I really don't think we'll be able to go to that dinner," said Zayn, looking behind him at the crowd of girls still running after the car. "Sorry..."

"Nah. It's okay. What are we gonna do then?" asked Julie.

"Movie tiiiiime!" yelled Louis, making the rest of them wince, especially Josie, given the fact that she was sitting closest to him.

"Yeah," she replied while rubbing her ear, "let's have a movie marathon."

"And pizza, of course," Zayn added.

"Ooh, can we watch Harry Potter?" suggested Julie. The boys both sort of said "nah" and Josie gave her a look of feigned disgust. Julie crossed her arms, and pouted adorably.

"Aw, that's just like Niall," said Zayn, tweaking her nose and making her blush.

Louis ticked movie names off on his fingers. "Alright, so the movies we have are... Inception, Love Actually, Hunger Games―"

"HUNGER GAMES!" yelled Josie and Julie together.

"You like that?" asked Louis, laughing.

"Yeah, we're huge fans of the series!" exclaimed Josie.

"Okay, okay. We'll watch that," laughed Louis. Just then, the car pulled up at the hotel. Thankfully, the fans had lost track of them during the pursuit so the four could enter the hotel without any further complications.

"Thanks!" Zayn called to their driver and slammed the door shut.

They all walked in and rode the elevator to the top floor. The moment the doors opened, they saw an elaborate marble door with a woodland scene carved into it. Josie and Louis walked on normally while Julie stood there, gaping, until Zayn put a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon, Julie. Hunger Games and pizza are waiting," he said, trying to tempt her into moving forward.

It worked. Julie shook her head. "Right, sorry. But this is so cool!"

He chuckled. "Then wait 'till you see the inside."

Louis pushed the door open and Julie gasped. There was a huge living room with tasteful furniture and glass and wood everywhere. A comfy-looking brown leather couch stood in front of a plasma television screen. There was a set of winding stairs leading upstairs between the kitchen and the living room. The kitchen was all marble and wood, with a huge oven and refrigerator, and the sink was piled high with dishes.

"SOFA!" Josie squealed as she jumped onto it and rolled around.

Louis grinned at her. "Too bad it's not ours. Anyway, what kind of pizza are we ordering?"

"Is mushroom and bacon and mozzarella good for everyone?" asked Zayn.

Everyone nodded his or her assent. He went to the kitchen to order Dominos.

Meanwhile, Louis was pushing the Hunger Games disc into the DVD player. He stepped back and picked up the remote. He was choosing subtitles at Julie's request when they heard someone running down the stairs.

"Are we ordering pizza?" yelled someone behind them. Julie and Josie both turned around. They saw an adorable blond guy with blue eyes looking around at all of them.

He stopped dead in his tracks, as if trying to process what was going on. Julie's jaw was dropping. "Niall, you sweet Irishman!" exclaimed Josie and bounded over to hug him and pinch his cheeks.

"Oh, man. Now there are two of Louis in here. Great," he joked. "I'm kidding. What's your name?"

"Josie! And my friend over there is Julie. She's Zayn's date."

"Hello," said Julie quietly. She smiled shyly at him. She was often shy upon meeting new people.

"Ah, Zayn, gettin' down with the quiet one," Niall sighed.

"Sometimes. Other times I can be loud," she replied mischievously.

He grinned and winked at her. "Join the club. So Louis," he said, turning to him, "what's this about pizza? I want some!"

"Er, you guys just had dinner. I saw you eating before we left..." said Louis.

"But I'm hungry," was Niall's only excuse.

"Niall, this is a date. You realize that, right?" said Zayn, coming back from ordering a pizza.

"Oh, there you are Zayn. What kind of pizza did you order?"

Louis took him by the arm and frog-marched him upstairs. Josie, Julie, and Zayn could hear him protesting the whole way and Louis reminding him he already had dinner.

He returned in two minutes. "I swear Niall still acts like a five-year-old." He shook his head.

"Well, if he's a child why not order him some pizza and let him take it upstairs?" Josie suggested. Zayn thought about it. "Come on! He's freaking adorable!"

"I'll do that later."

"Anyway, let's start the movie," he said, picking up the remote again and pressing play. Louis plopped down on the couch next to Josie, and Julie and Zayn sat awkwardly next to each other until Zayn pulled her over and snuggled close. Julie settled her head on his shoulder and sighed. On her right, Josie and Louis were also getting comfortable. They both felt like the luckiest girls in the world at that moment. Interesting when life was at its best...

* * *

**A/N: ** So, how did you all like that? Reviews please! Again, sorry for how long it took to update.


	3. Lies

**Chapter 3**

**Lies**

Julie and Zayn had long snuggled up like two happy children. Josie and Louis had their heads tilted opposite ways, but Louis' arm was wrapped around Josie's waist. The four had fallen asleep on the couch late into the night as they had decided to watch the entire _Twilight_ film series except _Breaking Dawn Part 2_. They all hated Twilight with a passion, so they had covered the TV screen completely with plastic wrap and thrown old food at the screen each time Bella or Edward showed up. This proved to be an effective way to get rid of the boys' expired snacks as they had placed many garbage cans under the TV. Most of the food littering the ground around the garbage cans had been thrown by Julie because she had terrible aim. Each time she missed, she apologized, but Zayn made her stop by telling her he didn't care one bit and kissing her forehead, effectively shocking her into silence.

"Zayn, what time is it?" yawned Julie, brushing a couple stale chips off her shirt. She was lying on Zayn's chest and listened to the steady drum of his heartbeat.

"Er..." He blinked a few times and then lifted his head slightly to squint at the clock on the wall. "It's 10:23."

Julie nodded and closed her eyes lazily. Then, someone walked into the living room from the stairs, yawning. She lifted her head and saw, to her horror, a naked man.

She fell off the couch. She lay on the floor, eyes wide, as Zayn looked over the couch at her. "Vas Happenin'?"

"I think I just saw Harry."

Zayn sighed. "Aw, I knew all the girls liked him." He got up and turned around to see Harry, stark naked.

"Bloody _hell,_ mate! There are our dates here!" he yelped

Harry looked at him and then continued walking. He stopped again and turned his head slowly. Then he finally fully comprehended what his friend was saying.

"Sorry, Zayn. Didn't know," he apologized and went into the kitchen to get some cereal.

"Put some clothes on then!" Zayn hissed, finally getting up off the couch.

This made Louis get up as well. He yawned, stretching both arms, letting go of Josie. "What's going on?"

"Harry walked in naked," Julie informed him. Louis' eyes turned wide.

"_What?_" Louis replied in disbelief.

Beside him Josie stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up. "Morning, guys," she greeted, rubbing an eye.

"Well, Josie's lucky she didn't see that," muttered Zayn to Julie.

The girl tilted her head. "See what?"

The others didn't reply to her. They suddenly heard the sound of the fridge door loudly opening and closing. Josie's head perked up and her expression brightened. She stood up and brushed off some crumbs of food from her clothes. "Who's that?" she asked, beginning her way to the kitchen.

Immediately, Louis and the others hauled her back, telling her to stop and come back. She jumped away from them, confused by their actions.

"Josie, let's go out for breakfast," Louis suggested suddenly.

Josie chuckled. "Why?" she asked as she took a step into the kitchen. "Why are you guys so jumpy..." She turned her head to see Harry chomping on his Cheerios. He dropped his spoon in surprise. Behind Josie, the others froze and waited for her reaction.

After a moment, Harry raised a hand and gave a subtle wave. "Hey."

Josie nodded slowly. "What's up?" She took one look at Harry and simply walked past him. She opened the fridge and fished out a bottle of yogurt. Josie then opened it but stopped before drinking. "This isn't expired too, is it?"

"No..." Harry slowly replied.

Josie shrugged. "Okay."

After a moment, Harry smirked. "What, no reaction?"

Josie shook her head and swallowed. "I live in a family of boys. What did you expect, a freak out?" she responded, setting down her yogurt. Then she turned back to the fridge and pulled out a random jar and examined its contents.

"Sorry, Hazz. You can't faze her," laughed Louis.

Meanwhile, Julie was still on the floor, covering her face and making odd gurgling noises from her throat.

"Well, I seem to have affected _that _one more than I expected...anyway. Someday, Louis. Someday, I'll faze this chick." He jerked a thumb at Josie.

Josie grinned cheekily at him. "Ah, Harry. You'll never win."

"Agh, Louis. Lose her, man," he groaned teasingly.

"I ain't listening to you," Louis responded, waggling his finger and speaking with a valley girl accent.

Josie applauded him. "Wow," she laughed. Behind her, Julie finally started to regain her sanity. Zayn helped her up.

Louis bowed. "Thank you."

"If you want to act like an American, lose your nice British-like attitude first," Josie teased.

Louis arched an eyebrow. "How?"

She cleared her throat. "Instead of 'Would you like a biscuit?'," she explained, "you would most likely say, 'Here. Take it or leave it.'"

A voice cleared itself at the doorway. All of them turned to see Liam, looking utterly bewildered. He looked from Josie to Julie, and then to Harry.

"...right. First thing in the morning: strange girls with popcorn in their hair," Liam reminded himself, arching an eyebrow at the lot of them.

Julie heaved a sigh of relief. "You're not naked!" she exclaimed, going over and shaking his hand.

Josie grinned. "Liam!" She tugged at Louis's arm. "It's Liam!"

"Here I am," Liam replied dryly, walking to the cupboard.

Louis looked down at the happy girl. "Yes," he said sarcastically, "it's a man I've known for two years. Surprise, surprise!"

"So," Zayn finally spoke, changing the subject, "shall we go somewhere?"

"Beach!" Josie instantly exclaimed.

"Movies and then the shopping mall!" Julie exclaimed at the same time.

Then they spun around to look at each other. "What?" they spoke in unison.

Josie smirked. "Movies? Be original for once, will you?"

Julie cocked an eyebrow at her. "Sure, while you go running around on the beach in slow motion with your hot boyfriend, then he catches up to you and you fall on each other and kiss just like in every other chick flick. Right."

"We just watched movies yesterday!"

"You're from a beach town! Why do you want to go there?"

Louis stepped between them, clearing his throat. "We can always go on separate dates."

Suddenly both the girls' faces lit up. "Why didn't you say so?"

"DIBS ON THE FANCY LIMO," Josie declared loudly.

Julie sighed. "Dammit. Oh well, we can just take a taxi."

"Or," Zayn said, raising a finger. "Or! We can take the white limo."

"You have two limos?" Julie looked surprised and impressed.

"Oh, please," Josie said. "Black is so much better! It's cool and gives off a glow."

Julie shrugged. "I'll take what I can get, Josie. Remember? Besides, black absorbs heat while white reflects it so you'll be roasting in the limo."

"Yeah, I'm sorry that happened. But white doesn't glow. It looks cheap," Josie stubbornly insisted.

The younger girl sighed and shook her head. Josie smirked at her and grabbed Louis' hand. "C'mon, let's go! We gotta pack some stuff," she said, pulling him upstairs to the boys' rooms.

"Wait here, I'm gonna grab my wallet," said Zayn and also disappeared upstairs. He returned a minute later and walked out with Julie.

"Hey, I'm going to take a shower. Meet you at Great Star Mall? It's nearby... "

"How 'bout I just pick you up with the white limo?" Zayn nodded and they each rode to their separate destinations.

* * *

"So," said Josie after they got into the limo, "did you pack everything?"

"Er..." Louis spun around and quickly checked the contents of their duffle bag. He grinned. "...yes! I did!"

"Alright." She leaned forward in her seat. "Driver, can you turn on the music?"

Within a few seconds, music began to boom through the vehicle, not loudly, but to a sufficient volume.

The car pulled to a stop in fifteen minutes. "Well, here we are," Louis said and opened the door, letting the warm, yellow light into the dim limo. He stepped out and held out a hand for Josie to hold on. She laughed at the chivalrous gesture and stepped out with his guidance. An expression of joy lit up the face as she began to hop around excitedly.

"THE BEACH!" she squealed and raced Louis to the water.

* * *

Meanwhile, Julie rode the elevator upstairs and quickly showered and brushed her teeth. She put on clean clothes, a pair of black shorts and a colorful blouse. She brushed her hair out and put it in a high ponytail. She grabbed her purse again and ran out the door. She found Zayn and jumped in, telling the driver where to go.

"So," said Zayn after they arrived a few minutes later. "Where to?"

"Let's just walk around inside first," she replied and walked through the doors. She saw an American Eagle store to her left and walked in. Zayn spotted a varsity jacket right off and examined it. It was for women and it was red and white. He smiled as this jacket reminded him of one of his many jackets and asked Julie to try it on.

"It fits you perfectly," he remarked.

"Does it look alright on me?" she asked him.

"Yeah, it looks sexy," he said bluntly. "You should buy it!"

Julie fingered the edge of the jacket. "It is really nice..." She checked the price tag. "Oh God, that's expensive. I wish I could, but I can't afford that," she told him regrettably.

She took it off and hung it back on the hook. She went to look at the dresses as Zayn sneakily grabbed the jacket and went in the other direction. When Julie came back, he gave her an American Eagle shopping bag.

"Aw, what's this?" she said, smiling at him. She looked inside and saw the varsity jacket. Her eyes widened and she gaped at Zayn. "You...you got this for me?"

He nodded. "It's my gift to you."

She stared. "I can't...this is too expensive. You may have a lot of money, but you're actually willing to buy this for a girl you met a few days ago?"

"If you date me, you gotta expect surprises," said Zayn, winking at her.

"Well...thanks, Zayn," she told him and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed, but Julie didn't see, to his relief.

"You see anything you like here?" he asked her.

"Nah, let's keep going." They walked out and Zayn suddenly remembered something. He stopped her, pulling her back by the waist, and turned her around.

She laughed. "What was that?"

"I remembered you and Josie talking about something this morning. You said, 'I'll take what I can get. Remember?' and then she said she was sorry. I didn't quite understand what that meant. D'you want to talk about it?" he asked concernedly.

Julie's brown eyes grew hard and angry yet sad at the same time. She felt her own heart grow cold and she clenched her jaw.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't push you," Zayn said quickly.

She shook her head. "No, I can tell you. It's just kind of hard to relive. When I was in, I think, fifth or sixth grade, I realized that I was bisexual. So I thought I should tell my family and friends about it. My sister was incredibly accepting of it, though it took a while for her to get used to it. However, when I sat down and told my parents, they looked at each other and told me I was going to 'get over it' and that it was just a phase. After nearly a year, of course, they realized it wasn't a phase. Not only was I interested in hot guys, I was also interested in pretty girls. So they sent me to a boarding school in China. Said that they might 'straighten me out.' They tried to convince me it was for my own good, that they were trying to help." She laughed coldly. "So I went to Shanghai but before I left the house, I told them, 'Never speak to me as your daughter again, you asshat bigots.' Then I walked out on them." Julie paused then and shivered involuntarily.

He put his arm around her and asked quietly, "Then what happened?"

"So I lived at the school for the nest few years, but during the summer and winter holidays I had to ask my friends if I could crash for a while. Several times, I had to sleep on a park bench. I was homeless, Zayn. Then I got a few small acting jobs, like in local community theater plays. After that I got some small roles in movies and I got to a high school here in the States like that. And then I met Josie, also an ABC, and I've been living with her ever since."

Zayn hugged her. "I'm so sorry, Julie. But don't worry, I'm fully accepting of everyone's sexual orientation. You're still the same person, after all."

"Thanks." She smiled at him. "But that's not all of it. Um...a few years later, I found out that my father had...passed a long time ago and my mother was very close to following him. She was incredibly sick and I visited her at the hospital every day, talking to her. She begged me to forgive her for being so narrow-minded about my sexuality. We forgave each other, but she died a few days after that. And you know what she said to me before she died? She said, 'The world is such a beautiful place. It's a pity that we have to leave it.' Then she said, 'I'm going to take a nap now. When I open my eyes again, I'll see your father.' And she did." Tears started making their way down her cheeks and Zayn wiped them away for her.

"Julie—"

She cut him off with a shake of the head. "And that's what I meant this morning. I take what I can get because I didn't always have what I needed. I gave you the long version, I'm sorry." She chuckled weakly.

"Don't be sorry." He kissed the top of her head and hugged his girlfriend tightly.

"Anyway, sob stories aside, let's go shopping." Julie saw Nine West to her right and went in after spotting a shoe she liked.

_No wonder she's an actress, she needs it to hide her wounds every day,_ thought Zayn. She reminded him of a wounded raven trying repeatedly to fly over a tall fence of barbed wire and who needed someone to help her over it. Not to mention, she was intelligent, like a raven.

"Zayn, is this one nice?" she asked, snapping him out of his reverie. She picked up a pair of cobalt blue heels.

"Yeah, that's pretty!" he agreed. Julie tried them on, pulling her Converse off. She walked around in them. She suddenly tripped because the heels were rather tall and a man rounding the corner caught her. She looked up and saw her ex-boyfriend and now best guy friend, Darren.

"Thanks―oh, hey Darren! What brings you to a store full of high heels?" she exclaimed.

"Julie, hi! I'm here with my girlfriend. She's gone to look for more shoes in the back," he explained, setting her upright again.

Julie's smile brightened. "Ohh, her name's Stephanie, right? I remember her! She's really nice." She meant it, too. Julie and Darren had broken up on great terms so neither felt the least bit jealous or angry when both started looking for new people to date.

Zayn cleared his throat from behind them.

Julie spun around. "Oh, sorry. Darren, this is Zayn. He's my boyfriend. And Zayn, this is Darren, my...brother," she lied glibly and regretted it immediately. She'd only said that because she didn't want Zayn to feel jealous. She looked into Zayn's eyes and saw a flash of uncertainty.

"Zayn, I gotta pee," she said quickly, putting the heels back and pulling her own shoes back on.

"I'll wait outside this store."

Julie hesitated, then nodded and left.

Zayn turned to Darren. "So...what's it like living with her?"

"What? I don't live with her," Darren said, wrinkling his brow.

"I mean back when you were kids."

"I've never lived with her..."

Zayn stared. "She called you her brother, didn't you hear?"

Now it was Darren's turn to stare. "I thought she meant we were just really good friends! I've never lived with her, I swear. Not even when we were dating. Didn't get far enough for that."

Zayn did a double-take. "Y-you dated her?"

"Yeah, didn't you know? Anyway, I gotta get back to Steph. See you," he called, going to the back to a redhead trying on shoes. Zayn walked out of Nine West and nearly walked into Julie, who was waiting outside, having returned from the restroom.

"Hey," she greeted.

He ignored her, walking on.

She frowned and caught up to him. "Zayn, you all right?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," he replied shortly.

"Um, alright. So, where do you want to eat lunch? Maybe In-N-Out? I heard you like their burgers," she suggested at an attempt to make the tension disappear.

"Actually, I don't really feel like eating. I'll call you," he said and walked away, hands in his pockets and head down.

Julie looked after him in despair and wished she hadn't lied to him about Darren. She found a bench, sat down, and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

Josie and Louis made their way down a small hill of sand, grinning wildly at the waves that edged closer to their feet. Suddenly, something popped into Josie's mind. "Wait," she said, "if you're here...among all these people...won't they notice you?"

"I brought a Spiderman mask," Louis replied smartly. "Now come on! The waves are right there!"

Josie was left with laughter, hopping over some shells stuck in the sand. She turned her head to scan the large crowds of people. There really were a lot of people. So many beautiful girls...why had Louis chosen her to date?

She looked back in the direction of her boyfriend. He was gesturing with a wave of his hand for her to follow. Josie started wondering where he wanted to put their stuff down, and she watched his back as his shoulders moved up and down with his breathing.

And then her feet touched the damp sand, leaving footprints. "Louis, you want to put our stuff down here?"

"Didn't want to stay with the crowd, so I didn't bring a blanket either!" He unfolded the umbrella and stuck it into the sand. "Why not improvise once in a while?"

Josie laughed and went along with it. Louis patted his hands and straightened his back. "Alright, to the water!"

Josie started following him, avoiding collision with running and tripping children. One small blond child bumped into her finally, and she took a step back. "You okay?" she asked kindly. He nodded back before running off to chase after his friends, shouting and waving a seashell in the air.

With her hands on her hips, Josie watched him go off, and then something caught her eye. She squinted through the sun to peer a little further up the beach. And suddenly, she went stiff and rigid, arms falling and dangling limply against her body. Her eyes widened and she could almost feel her knees go weak.

Louis realized Josie had stopped following her, and made his way back up the shore. He called her name once, only to be met with silence. Louis arched an eyebrow and called her again. No reply, but she had stopped staring upwards. Now she just looked blankly at her toes, which wriggled weakly in the sand. Finally, Louis reached out a hand to tap her shoulder.

Josie flinched before turning to him. After the slightest moment of hesitation, she gave him a smile, as if nothing had happened at all. "Yes?"

"Hey, is anything wrong? You seem kind of down."

Then Josie laughed, and what had started to worry the carrot boy was the fact that Josie's laugh sounded the same as her previous one. Somehow she seemed distant to him, and Louis knew there was a problem. It was then that Louis started to wonder how many of her laughs were actually meant for him and how many were fakes. What was she not telling him? Josie slipped her hand into his. "To the water," she spoke gleefully.

She led him a few steps before he stopped her. He grabbed onto her arm. "If anything's wrong, you can tell me, you know," Louis said. "I have five younger sisters."

Josie grinned. "Nothing's wrong," she replied almost defensively. "Come on, let's go." She didn't fight against his grip, and instead embraced it and tried leading Louis away.

"Seriously, Louis," Josie said when he didn't budge, "what's wrong?"

"That's what I'm asking you," Louis replied, bringing her into a hug.

Josie gave him a puzzled look, but let him embrace her. "What...?" she chuckled weakly, her smile almost grotesque with how bright and wide it was. By now it was obvious.

"Is _that _smile real?"

And then it dropped from her face.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, here's an **extra** long chapter for all of you because you've been so patient. Now what will happen to four of them?

For those who don't know, ABC stands for American Born Chinese which means one is of Chinese blood but born in America. So basically, he/she looks Chinese but acts American.

I (Mrs. Hiddleston Malik) have another story if you want to check it out. It's called "God of Mischief" and it should be obvious what it's about :D

Reviews, please! We love them, they tell us that you appreciate our efforts.


	4. Author's Note

**To all of you ever-so-patient readers:**

**We are so sorry we haven't updated in a month. Someone informed me that it was against FF rules to post a story about non-historical and/or non-fictional characters. In this case, the One Direction boys. So I have moved it to a different website under the same user name and story title. ("Taken" by Mrs Hiddleston Malik and jojoBOOOOM)**

**This story is now on (remove the spaces as FF won't allow links): one direction fan fiction . com**

**Again, we apologize for the extremely late update and hope you will continue reading and reviewing. Thanks!**


End file.
